Guides

Every summer our guides migrate back to the banks of the Big Hole River, eager and ready to assist our clients with the enjoyment of this beautiful sport of fly fishing. If you ask them why, they'll tell you that the Big Hole offers some of the finest fly fishing in the world. Clients learn something new every day, sometimes with each cast. If you are an accomplished fly fisher, our guides will help you take your skills to the next level. If you are a beginner, you will not only learn the basics, you will advance in the sport quickly. Our guides are the most important asset to the Big Hole Lodge and the main reason our clients return year after year. Each guide has a reverence for the river that is shared intimately and uniquely with each and every client. A guide can make or break a fly fishing trip and the guiding staff at Big Hole Lodge deserves special mention.

Matthew Lyng

Matt Lyng has been a full time guide on the Big Hole since 1989 and knows many of the secrets of this fabled river that only experience can bestow. With his easy-going western demeanor, he will slide his raft into unsuspecting places on the Big Hole where many trout hide from the casual observer. Upon graduating from Colorado College in ’87, he headed north and has been fishing Southwestern Montana ever since. The Big Hole is the river that captured his heart, but he is very fond of the smaller creeks and streams as well. He may say, “Fishing is where you find it” but it does not hurt to have a good idea of where to look. Whether it is birding, local history, geography, reading water or casting a fly, Matthew enjoys sharing his passions of fly-fishing and southwestern Montana; it is not just about the fish, but rather the experience of fishing. Matthew lives in Helena with his wife Hope and son Will, where he teaches high-school Spanish.

Wade Fellin

Wade is a fifth generation Montanan deeply rooted in the Big Hole Valley. Wade has guided since 2006 and his deep conservation ethic stems from the same sources of clean, readily available water that attracted his ancestors, and later led him to study environmental and water law at the University of Montana. In addition to guiding and managing the Big Hole Lodge with his father and guiding, Wade is program director of Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, and chairman of the Big Hole River Foundation.

Blaine Huntley

This fifth generation Montanan was born to hunt and fish in the Big Hole Valley. Raised on his family's ranch in Wisdom, MT at the headwaters of the Big Hole, Blaine has spent his life outside working, playing, and exploring. Clients can expect to fish hard with Blaine. Whether its from his purple raft on the Big Hole or from his jetboat on the Missouri, Blaine is committed to pinpointing what the fish are keyed into. In the offseason, Blaine lives in Dillon with his wife and two children.

Stephanie Winter

Stephanie grew up dividing her time between San Francisco, CA and Wisdom, MT in the Big Hole Valley where her parents built a small fishing cabin on the bank of the Big Hole River. She attended the Thacher School where she further developed a love of riding horses, backpacking and the outdoors lifestyle and continued her education at Boston College. She spent two summers as sous-chef at the Big Hole Lodge and fell in love with fishing the surrounding rivers during every moment of free time with chef Lanette and the guides. Pursuing her passion Stephanie completed Montana's Sweet Water Guide School in 2016 and became Big Hole Lodge's first female guide!

John McKinnie

John was two months old on his first fishing trip. Growing up in Glenwood Springs, CO John spent almost every weekend sitting on the banks the famous Roaring Fork. He honed his skill on the Green River, North Platte River, Frying Pan River and many other western waters. When John hit 30, he made the decision to turn a hobby, and passion, into a career and headed north to Montana. Since moving to Big Sky Country in 2011, John has been 'living the dream' fishing the Madison, Big Hole, Missouri, & Rock Creek from his home base in Phillipsburg, MT . Guiding has developed in John a passion for teaching and an appreciation of introducing people to the beauty and serenity of Montana.

Travis Thompson

Originally from the flatlands of North Dakota, Travis grew up fishing lakes and small streams of the Red River Valley. Since moving to Montana, fly fishing has become an absolute obsession and he wouldn’t have it any other way. From spending long days learning new stretches of rivers to tying dozens of flies on the vise, the smile on a client’s face is always his favorite. When the rivers are empty and the fly shops are closing down, you will find him on horseback in the mountains tracking down big game.

Roy Morris

Roy grew up delivering fuel to ranchers in the Big Hole valley with his dad. After graduating with a photography degree from Montana State University Roy returned to Butte in 1980 to purchase and grow the family fuel and convenience store business. Upon retirement Roy changed gears and is devoting his time to his passion, fighting for stream access and river conservation. Roy is a recent-past president of our local Trout Unlimited chapter and an active force in the conservation community. He spends his freetime fishing in Alaska, Mexico, the Bahama's, Canada and the rivers and lakes of the western U.S. The best river and best place of all them always was and is still the Big Hole River. "Smartest thing I've ever done was be born in Montana," he says.

Mark Thompson

Mark has been fishing and guiding on the Big Hole River since he was a young boy. After earning a bachelors degree in biology and an MBA, Mark owned and operated a family business in his hometown of Butte, Montana. Mark is currently managing the family distribution facility while guiding blue ribbon trout rivers in the summer, and trophy deer hunts in Eastern Montana in the fall. Born and raised in beautiful southwestern Montana, Mark is blessed with three lovely daughters: Siena, Lexa, and Tia. The girls truly love their time outdoors hunting, fishing and hiking with Dad – spring, summer, fall and winter! Mark is also the president of our local Trout Unlimited chapter and committed to the future of SW Montana's cold water fisheries.

Robbie Bennett

Robbie grew up on the banks of the Big Hole in Melrose, MT. His father, also a fishing guide, introduced him to fly fishing and hunting at a young age and instilled in him sportsman values. Robbie has an immeasurable love for Melrose and the surrounding area. If he's not fishing you can find him working cows at Trapper Creek Ranch, hunting or enjoying the outdoors (rain or shine) with his wife Lindsey and young son Henry. Robbie also works for the city of Helena Fire Department as a Firefighter/EMT.

Chuck Page

Orvis' 2015 Guide of the Year has been guiding on the Big Hole River and other Southwest Montana waters since 1983. He left Woodland, CA at the age of 18 to guide in the Bob Marshall and Crazy Mountains of Montana. He became an outfitter guiding fly fishing trips and elk hunts and his father joined him in 1984 to form an elk hunting business in the Pioneer Mountains above the Big Hole River. Chuck began guiding fly fishing trips for Big Hole Lodge in 1989 and would often take clients on horseback into the high mountain lakes of the Pioneer mountains. His incredible work ethic, knowledge of the Big Hole River and unmatched desire to "get his clients into fish" are renowned. Chuck seems to find a fly pattern that will work even when the fishing is slow. Chuck lives with his wife and daughter in Wise River and is the head guide at Big Hole Lodge.

Allen Baker

Allen has worked, fly fished and hunted big game worldwide, including locations such as Russia, New Zealand, Australia, and extensively in Africa and Montana. He continues to work full time in the hunting industry, guiding for Montana Professional Hunters, and working around the globe with Russ Smith-Hunting Worldwide. Allen first came to Montana in the late 1980’s to fly fish and guide bowhunters. He moved from West Virginia to Wise River with his wife, Jane, in early 1990 and become part of a hunting outfit as well as a part time fly fishing guide. He joined the Big Hole Lodge in '95 and guided full time for eleven years, and continues today as a part time guide.

Craig Fellin

Craig Fellin has owned and operated the Big Hole Lodge since 1984. Craig's business philosophy is very simple, "give the clients more than they are expecting and do it with a smile". In addition to guiding for twenty seven years in Montana, Craig has managed a fly shop in Aspen, guided in Argentina, and fished New Zealand on numerous occasions. He enjoys saltwater fishing in the Keys, the Yucatan, and the Carribean with his son Wade, and he plans to get back into steelhead fishing starting next fall.